Démos Tolmi
Appearance
Démos is, according to himself at least, "old and fat and lazy." He is an aged orc with thinning black hair and a large belly that is partially exacerbated by his hunched posture. Over his broad shoulders sits a fine fur cloak and well made robes that ensure recognition as a mage. Though he calls himself old, he has weathered the years far better than most orcs his age - while humans might begin slowing down over the course of many decades, an orc remains in good health until their late 30's, after which they steeply decline and usually die some time in their 40's. Démos is 48 and still capable of manual labour - a remarkable feat for his kind.Personality
For the last few years, Démos was extremely bored in his role as Acidon's Governor, leading to an attitude of callousness and frustration when dealing with his people. While that has changed in recent times, he is still an orc quick to anger (hardly a rare thing!) and eager to punish those who have wronged him. Nowadays he seems more content to lead his city, actually interacting with those he rules, and looking forward to days of excitement rather than simply sitting and waiting for The Shadow to claim him. The Exotics in particular have aided in revealing his better side, becoming a source of friendship rather than being simple allies.Abilities
Démos is a remarkably skilled geomancer with a mastery over rock and stone few can match. With these skills and an eye for practical architecture, he has shown himself able to rebuild the ruins of an entire city into functional shelter for thousands in a matter of weeks. Though he rarely gets into combat, he has invented a few spells that can turn the ground to quicksand or impale a foe with stalagmites.History
Geologist First, Mágos Second
Démos to this day is an avid student of geology, researching the properties Éda's many aspects. His beginnings as a mage were entirely a result of wanting to know more about how metals and gemstones interact with magic, and he has a collection of every mineral he has come across during his years of studying and travelling. At some point after he settled in Acidon he wrote a pair of books covering detailed descriptions of all the soils, sands, rocks, glasses, metals, gems, etc. that he knew of, as well as explaining how useful geomancy can be for construction and fortification.Waterways of Kanios
During his early years over 20 years ago, his talents would be put to good use in a project helmed by Vhul'xo the Immortal - a megastructure network of aqueducts that run the entire length of Kanios, ensuring the region will never run dry again. He put many years into the project, even training others in the art of shaping stone and concrete, before deciding to take his payment and leave for somewhere quieter while others finished the great work.Pillars of Acidon
"Somewhere quieter" ended up being a city on the far edge of the Republic. Like all settlements in Teráka, there were monsters and Praelan scouts to deal with from time to time, but the lack of petty squables and political machinations made sure things were simple, even if they weren't fully safe yet. In the first year or two since arriving, Démos split his time between chatting with the then-current Governor of the city and exploring the region for new minerals. But after a particularly dangerous monster attack in which his friend nearly died, he set his mind to fortifying the city so that it could defend itself even without a Mágos protector. He was a mage at the height of his power in those days, and through skill and magic the Pillars were created. After several months in which any monsters were quickly shot down by the ballistae mounted to the top of each structure, he became lauded as saviour of the city. When the time came for the next election to be held to decide the Governor of Acidon, he won in a landslide despite not running for the position in the first place. As the years flew by he became the status-quo, without any rivals to make claims on his seat for a long, long time.Alchemical Incident
An amateur alchemist for much of his life due to curiosity about how certain elements interact with certain chemicals, Démos was given the recipe for Óssan Fire by an old friend. It was, and is, a deadly fluid that ignites on contact with air and is difficult to put out. With a plan to outfit his personal warship with jars full of the flammable substance, he set to work... Things went well! He crafted enough of the Fire to last a dozen battles and more, for it wasn't an accident with creating it that would bring him harm. There came a day when, absentmindedly reaching to some wine nearby for a drink while working, his hand found liquid flame instead. He was lucky that the Fire he fully drank was smothered quickly by his insides, but his mouth was instantly ablaze. By the time he had used magic to clear save himself, his tongue was scorched beyond repair. Passion for his hobby died that day alongside most of his tastebuds. To this day he will not say if it happened due to someone switching out the vials, either as an assassination attempt or prank gone wrong, or if he used to genuinely store the vials of Fire on the same shelf he kept his wine.The Exotics
In the year 673 MA, a group of eclectic individuals would make their way to Acidon after months travelling the seas nearby. Many conversations would be had, including one about a fresh new political rival and the potential of a villainous plot involving the orphanage. After a few days there was an incident involving Corvus Mors that would be resolved by the party's quick thinking, ingratiating them to Démos for the months to come. Soon after they first arrived to the city, The Exotics would leave for Chyreum, but they would have a few more encounters both before and after their departure. Most notable amongst them were the delivery of a giant bug's egg that they asked Démos to house and look after, as well as a battle to scare off a freshly-hatched kraken. Through all of this and more, The Exotics are now some of Démos' closest friends.Demon Incursion
A week of death and carnage that claimed his city. A cult claiming to worship a Phoenix God, either a corruption of Talsia herself or one of her children, found a way to open a door to darkest corners of The Underworld. Uncountable numbers of demons poured forth night after night, with only the light of day granting his citizens temporary reprieve. Great heroes sallied forth to protect the people, and to end the threat before an Immortal arrived to wipe the city off the map to prevent demonkind gaining a foothold in this world. Thanks to the combined efforts of The Exotics, The Champions, Lucian Mors, Démos himself and many others, the city was saved after a climactic battle to close the hellish portal for good. In morbid truth, the horrific ordeal revitalised the old orc, who had grown tired of his position and neglectful of his people. After being placed under the Mágos equivalent of house arrest for "allowing" the attack to happen, he dusted off his geomantic construction skills and began rebuilding his city at a pace that would astound even other mages. Less than a year on from Acidon burning down, there are almost no signs that demons once walked the streets at all.City of Ants
Amongst all of the excitement in the city, the giant egg The Exotics once brought in had hatched and rapidly begun to grow. Démos hired a wildsman to help train it immediately after hatching, but was astounded when the egg turned out to be an ant queen, capable of laying eggs without the need of a male. Over the course of a year or so, the single ant queen turned into a small colony, creating tunnels underneath Acidon as though the city itself was a nest. Thanks to the queen being tamed from birth, and the creation of many different alchemical pheromones by Lucian, the people of Acidon have learned to trust and train these ants into working for them. Their ability to secrete a natural glue has been put to use in ship repairs already, and the harbour has recently been upgraded in the hopes of it turning into a full shipyard with insectoid builders one day.A Curious Kidnapping
Yurius Aquae, once a member of The Exotics before his near death experience with a Fury, had long since been accepted back within the ranks of Praelos. It came as some surprise then, when Yurius contacted Démos informing him of a plot to kidnap him. Sure enough, Yurius arrived atop the back of a wyvern alongside some men under his command. Thanks to the forewarning, Démos was able to survive the attempt and kill all the Praelan soldiers who came after him. Yurius himself was captured, but not executed, and now remains within a secure cell deep underground the city.
Children
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